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GUI Design: Links vs. Buttons

June 30th, 2012 | Add a Comment

   Real Link? Buttons have been around as long as GUIs have. They were initially only used to perform actions. When hyperlinks (or links) were first created, their usage was obvious: it was a method for linking documents to each other and for quickly jumping from one to another (hence the name hyperlink). Unfortunately, the difference between the two has been blurred such that in many GUIs there appears to be no rhyme or reason as to when either is used, other than the whim of the designer or developer. Buttons are often made to look like links and vice versa. Part of the reason for this is probably the fact that menu items usually look more like links, but often act more like actions; this is also true for the controls … Read entire article »

Filed under: Controls, GUI Design, Mistakes, Navigation

GUI Design: Consistent Terminology

June 16th, 2012 | Add a Comment

It’s difficult enough for users to try to understand a new application without confusing them with inconsistent terminology. One of the recommendations made by Jeff Johnson in his book GUI Bloopers 2.0 is that every project should have a lexicon. This lexicon is a complete list of terminology that will be used throughout the GUI and documentation. I thought this was a good idea long before I read it in Johnson’s book and appreciated his treatment of the subject. Not having a lexicon that defines what will and will not be used can lead to two problems: More than one term may be used to describe the same concept. Some terms may be used for more than one concept.   EXAMPLE: DELETE OR REMOVE? The terms Delete and Remove can reasonably used interchangeably in written and spoken English, … Read entire article »

Filed under: GUI Design, Mistakes